Evan Armitage sprints toward third base. He and the 'Hawks look to start a run of their own as they get set for a big home series against Western Michigan.
After suffering a six game losing streak and falling to the bottom half of the MAC East standings, the Miami University baseball team beat local rival University of Cincinnati 11-8 to return to its winning ways Tuesday.
The win was bolstered by a seven-run eighth inning in which the RedHawks took a commanding 10-2 lead. A series of hit batters, singles and walks brought in three runs and loaded the bases. Infielder Jordan Petraitis then ripped a bases-clearing double into left-center field to give the 'Hawks a 9-2 cushion. Junior Ben Eubank drove in Petraitis with a double but was thrown out at third base trying to extend his hit into a triple.
With an eight run lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, Miami had the game seemingly in hand. However, a four-run Bearcat frame that very inning followed by two more tallies in the ninth gave the RedHawks a fair amount of anxiety before it was all over.
"I think a lot of guys were like, 'Oh my God, it's happening again'," junior outfielder Chris Nadeau said. "You almost had to laugh about it. But it's good that we stopped the bleeding and actually get the win."
Miami has dropped a staggering amount of close contests this season. The team has lost seven games this year by just one run. The trend has been extremely frustrating for the team who had become used to doing well over the past two seasons.
"It's almost to the point where we forgot what winning was like," junior infielder Tommy Nurre said. "The fact that it has happened so many times-you get to the late innings and it will be a one run game and you think ,'OK, here we go again.'"
Beyond putting a stop to their six game skid, the win was especially gratifying to many Miami players because of their opponent. The RedHawks have five players on their roster who are from Cincinnati which makes a victory over the Bearcats all themore meaningful.
"We have a lot of Cincinnati guys so we're always pumped up to take it to 'em," Nadeau said.
For players who are from the area, the competing against UC often means battling against friends in a personal rivalry.
"I'm from Cincinnati and know four or five guys in their starting lineup so it's pretty fun to be out there and talk to them at first base," Nurre said, "if they make it-hopefully not."
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Up next for Miami is a five game home stand that includes three weekend MAC games. While the 'Hawks are in a hole after their slow start, the team remains confident that it will be able to turn things around.
"We can get ourselves right in the thick of the race," head coach Dan Simonds said. "We still have seven MAC weekends left and this is definitely the start of us getting back into the thick of it and playing the style of baseball-the quality of baseball-that we're capable of playing: winning baseball. We've got to make a statement that we are going to contend in the MAC. We certainly have the personnel to do that and a lot of that is going to start right on Friday."
The RedHawks are looking forward to their return home where they hope to be greeted by a large and excited home crowd. While the team has not lived up to expectations thus far, they want to show RedHawk nation that they still have every intention of competing at a high level.
"We're a team that's going to battle, a team that has to play decent baseball and a team that's going to turn the corner," Simonds said. "I think we play an exciting brand of baseball; it's going to show our fans and show the school that we can win."
Even this early in the year, Miami realizes that the next five games are critical to their season. A series loss could sink them too low to recover from, while a series win could put the 'Hawks right back into the post-season hunt.
"(Our games are) most important in the MAC because that's the way we're going to earn a bid to the national tournament," Nurre said.
Miami's next game is in Oxford against Western Michigan on Friday at 6 pm. The RedHawks will then round out the weekend series with a 6 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. start Sunday.
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